Break The Sky
by Wildfires Within
Summary: The Wings of Freedom meant they were freer than the animals trapped inside their walled cages. But it did not guarantee anything. Even the most skilled could meet their deaths in a millisecond. Levi/OC
1. Chapter One

**Chapter One**

**_"_****_I'm a satellite heart, lost in the dark."_**

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><p>Levi pushed his horse to ride faster than the breakneck speed it was already galloping at. If they survived this, he could apologize for this later with carrots, a good brushing, and maybe a handful of snuck sugar cubes.<p>

He wasn't the kind to ordinarily let a battle faze him, but how _this_ had happened was inexplicable. He wasn't going to let a titan–no, a _monster_–take away what little he had. The titans had already taken too much. Too much for an ordinary soul to handle. He could see on the horizon the battle that ensued.

This was as dangerous as it got. If they didn't stop it here, they were going to be at a loss. Not just for information, but so many _lives _as well. Lives that didn't have to die. That could have lived…but for what? Just to die another day?

Levi shook his head. These were dangerous thoughts to have. He was, after all, humanity's last hope. Or so everyone seemed to think. _Screw humanity_, he thought, his bitterness evident even in his thoughts. Another shake of the head. He needed absolute clarity and concentration in order to do this.

Suddenly, a scream pierced the open air. A scream he recognized. Typically, he would have scoffed and gotten to work to save as many lives as possible, to kill as many titans as he possibly could. But this was no ordinary scream. Although the cacophony of battle, blood, and chaos surrounded him…

That scream _froze_ him in his tracks.

_No_.

* * *

><p><em>15 Months Earlier…<em>

"Tch." Levi scoffed as he looked off into the distance. New recruits for the Survey Corps. But not completely untrained ones. They were from the Garrison – dimwits compared to most in the Survey Corps, of course, but they could be worse…they _could_ be the Military Police.

He hated the idea that the top ten soldiers usually chose the path of cowardice – joining the MPs instead of fighting for humanity. Why the most talented, the most resourceful, truly, the best were corralled into protecting a place that in reality didn't particularly _need_ protecting was unjust. But injustices surrounded them. Every single day.

He heard the heavy footsteps approaching before the person standing behind him addressed, "Captain Levi Ackerman." It wasn't a question of who he was – everybody pretty much knew who he was. Humanity's Strongest Soldier. What a joke. It was almost equal parts fortune and skill – maybe a little more luck on some days, on some missions. Plus, his strength wasn't granted upon him. He had worked hard, for countless years – the Underground had made him resilient. And just like that, he wasn't going to let some damn titans get the best of him.

"Hmph?" He made a general noise of acknowledgement. The soldier before him saluted. He nodded and the soldier relaxed.

"Commander Erwin is asking for you." Curt, and lacking the information he wanted to know. _Why_?

"Next time you attempt to deliver a message, you should at least include where the person you're calling upon is to go." He scolded, but not roughly as he would with his own squad.

"Oh…umm, he's—" The soldier was suddenly nervous and fidgety as he tried to expand his initial message.

Levi, however, cut him off. "Don't bother. I know where the Commander is." The soldier paled, but nodded. "You're dismissed." Levi all but shooed him away. In fact, if he could shoo the soldier away without facing another lecture from Erwin about his "lack of diplomacy", he would.

He may have been a "Captain" in all sense of the word, but his position in the military was somewhat circumstantial. It had only come about at the suggestion of Erwin. In fact, Levi was pretty sure that if he wasn't the man who he was today, Zackly wouldn't have agreed upon the title.

He left the young soldier standing there, mouth slightly agape. _Idiot_. He thought. _Why would you summon somebody without directing them to _where_ they're being summoned to? I swear, each year the titan fodder gets stupider and stupider._

He knew that was completely irrational of him to think – not everyone who transferred became titan fodder. But for the most part, unfortunately, it was true. These people usually didn't come of their own will to the Survey Corps. They usually were coerced or bribed into it. Coerced with threats or bribed with extra resources for their families. Of course, the extra resources ended upon their deaths, thus leaving the military more resources with which to bribe more soldiers. _Or to feed the lazy MPs._ The thought occurred to Levi. It was usually the latter.

He also knew that though Erwin wasn't exactly keen on using bribery or threats to have soldiers join the Survey Corps, he tended to turn a blind eye to it. The more soldiers to spare for expeditions, the better. Speaking of Erwin, Levi briefly wondered why he was being called upon. There definitely wasn't going to be a mission anytime soon. Not after the devastation inside of Wall Sina. Any money was going to rebuilding the city. And it didn't help that _technically_ the Survey Corps was _theoretically_ responsible for the damage – in a roundabout sort of way, or so Zackly had said in much more fluid language.

_Bullshit_. Levi had thought then, just as he thought now. Zackly wasn't always in agreement with the Monarchy, but his position was in correspondence to them. He couldn't air his grievances without losing his job. So for now, the Survey Corps was grounded; tasked with trying to coerce Annie Leonhart from her crystal, training Eren and training the regiment as much as possible. After all, if a mission _was_ approved, (_in Erwin's dreams_, Levi thought) they had to be as absolutely ready as possible.

Levi looked up at the stairway leading to the second floor of their headquarters. It also led to Erwin's chambers – a main living space that he used as a meeting place and several doorways that Levi had no idea what led to where. Knowing Erwin, they were probably passageways to other places in the old castle itself. He sighed and braced himself for the climb. He wasn't arrogant, but he knew that if he asked for help, his pride would be bruised.

With a grunt, he placed weight upon his hurt leg and climbed the first step. _Only twenty-seven more steps to go_. After the nineteenth step, the pain was becoming more uncomfortable. But he was almost there. _Damn Mikasa._ He didn't actually blame her. She was still young – passion driven and blindly attempting to save Eren. Of course, admitting this didn't make his leg feel any better. According to the doctors, he was still going to be out for at least a month. If not longer.

As he finally took the last step, Hange sighed and stared at him. "You should've asked for help." She practically scolded.

"Shut the fuck up." He chose to mutter back at her, ignoring her seemingly obvious solution.

"You're especially rude this lovely morning. Using my _incredible_ deductive skills, I'm guessing that you're irritable because you're not being particularly helpful in Humanity's fight." Her statement only earned a glare and steely silence from him.

"I'm taking your silence as agreement," Hange practically sang in a chipper voice.

Instead of answering, Levi chose to change the subject. "What's today meeting about?"

Instantly, Hange became a stoic figure of seriousness. Levi knew then, that as she was, so was the subject. "I have an inkling it's about the events that transpired in Sina. But until Erwin actually opens up the meeting, I have to say that I don't know." He nodded. He knew Hange very well, and he knew that she had to know. She had disappeared for two days, even after the fight between Annie and Eren had ended. No amount of scientific studies would've taken two days to determine that Annie was _not_ coming out of her crystallized shell.

They walked together – well, Levi limped and Hange walked slowly in silent sympathy – down the hall until they reached Erwin's office. The door was slightly ajar and Levi could see that they were the last ones in. He was always punctual – except, apparently, today.

Commander Erwin stood at the head of the table. Around the table were various squad leaders. Clearly whatever this was, not only was it important, but it had to be discreet.

He acknowledged the two and Hange closed the door behind them. And thus, began discussions of the utmost secrecy.

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><p><strong>AN: Hello all! Just a few quick notes for those of who've decided to read enough to get all the way down here...unless you scrolled down here and read this first...in which case, that's okay too! I am new to this fandom in the world of writing - however, the moment I saw the first episode of AoT (at the behest of my husband...), I fell in love. The premise, the story, the characters...one word: AHHHH! **

**Then, I convinced him that we _needed_ to get the manga! There was no way in hell I was going to wait until 2015 in order to be able to see what would happen next. After reading and rereading and watching and re-watching, it just wasn't enough. I had to jump into this world even though I'm super duper busy with work and life. I can only try to update this as the ideas come - luckily for those of you who are sticking around, I have a strongly driven muse right now (fingers crossed it stays that way for a while!)**

**One teeny tiny last note for those of you who've only watched the anime: I am not necessarily planning on following the manga, thus (perhaps) no spoilers to be had. However, there are facts that I cannot ignore, such as Levi's last name being Ackerman, not Rivaille. I don't know if there will be a connection to Mikasa, so that's yet to be decided. I guess we'll see!**

**Thanks so much for reading, reviews truly mean the world (even if it's just a quick "cool story, bro") - especially for new stories, *cough cough*. Oh look, I'm dropping hints! Oops! But in all seriousness, thanks again for reading and here's hoping you stick around for the ride!**

**-Audrey**

**P.S. Next chapter, we'll introduce the lovely OC! :)**


	2. Chapter Two

**Chapter Two  
><strong>

**_"_****_I'm the wind in the pines."_**

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><p>Levi hobbled down the steps. <em>Damn bum leg. <em>The meeting had been eventful, to say the least. Thoughts swirled in his mind and he didn't notice as a flurry of limbs ran past him. However, the young looking soldier clipped his leg with hers and he groaned as pain coursed through his leg.

"Sorry, late!" She yelled back and continued running. Ordinarily he would've cursed the soldier and gone on his way, but as he looked at her retreating back, his mind settled on one thing.

_Petra._

The girl who'd just caused him such immense pain had hair reminiscent of hers. However, as he caught one last fleeting glance, he realized that it wasn't true. Petra was dead, along with the rest of the Special Operations Squad. And that girl. Her hair wasn't anything like Petra's at second glance. He just saw what he had wanted to see.

Guilt suddenly hit him, but he shook it off. Even if he wasn't on the battlefield, this was no time to get even remotely emotional. Nevertheless, Levi knew that no matter what, that guilt would follow him in life. In fact, there was a particular someone who would never let him forget it. _Her father_. He could still remember the crestfallen look on his face – the disappointment, the anger…and ultimately, the absolute sadness. A shot of pain ran through his heart – one of the many reasons he didn't like to think about the past…

Shaking off his thoughts, Levi remembered what Erwin had said after the meeting had concluded.

_"__If you want to contribute, help with training. Besides, you can get your anger out that way instead of throwing things like a child or cleaning maniacally."_

Levi sighed, but figured it was better than doing nothing. He had already cleaned and checked (and cleaned once more, just to be sure). He couldn't keep doing that without going crazy. Besides, he was bound to go stir crazy before anything else set in. He was always independent. Just because his ankle was hurt didn't mean he was suddenly going to go on and start asking people for help.

Well, if there was nothing else to do besides stand around, he could at least torment some of the newest members of the Survey Corps. Walking (albeit slowly and carefully) over to where Nanaba was standing, looking as bored as ever as she called roll.

"These are the members from the Southern region of the Garrison. It was on Pixis' recommendation that they join us."

"Hmph." He somewhat acknowledged. "What's wrong with them?"

"All the files are in Commander Erwin's office, Captain." She offered with an indifference. "I know a few are in trouble with the chain of command, some aren't fit for duty with the Garrison and will be taking simple jobs with us and some, strangely enough, wanted to join of their own accord."

Levi nodded, staring at all of them as they stood in position, fists held over hearts in respect. He glanced over at them uninterested for the most part. A few stood out, but not many. As Erwin would put it, titan fodder indeed. Maybe a few would make it past their first mission – granted with lots and lots of training.

"…Commander Erwin wants them split into groups based on aptitude." Nanaba had clearly been speaking, albeit quietly, this entire time. "…which is why the files are being taken to your office as we speak. He figured you could use something to do while we put most of them on chores."

He could only scowl. He wasn't intimidated by paperwork, in fact, he reveled in it. Organization and detail was necessary, and those two things happened to be some of his top skills. Besides the whole "Humanity's Strongest" thing. But the fact that Erwin was so flippant about it – 'use something to do'…

Then again, maybe he was just being irritable about that. Erwin was right. He was bound to go stir crazy sooner or later (more than likely, sooner) if he didn't have something to work on.

"…the ones you think have the most aptitude are the ones you can go crazy on. Train them until they bleed sort of thing." Levi had always respected Nanaba for being the quiet kind of person unless words were necessary. But clearly since he wasn't in a chatty mood, she was having to fill in on the silence herself.

"Make sure they scrub everything until they can eat off of the floors." He ordered. Nanaba would surely make sure the jobs were done correctly. "And whoever does stable duty better not smell like shit by the end of the day."

"Yes, sir." She saluted. Levi knew she was the right person to go to with direct orders – she would fulfill them to a tee, unlike other people who would find slight ways to mess up what was specifically detailed.

Now all he had to do was finish reading about fifty files and figure out who he could whip into shape for a successful mission.

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><p>Losers. Dot Pixis had given them the absolute lowest of the low from the Garrison. That…<em>asshole<em>. Levi's face fell into a deeper scowl as he continued reading about the idiot who had "accidentally" broken into the supply storages.

That _idiot_ could be properly dealt with by Mike. Surely he could knock some sense into him. And if not, he could at least smell if he was up to no good. For a second, a shudder struck through him – the man's sense of smell was a little uncanny, and quite frankly, equal parts scary.

He slammed the file down unto the "Mike" pile. Truthfully, he couldn't assign this "Cole" person to Mike, but he knew that that loser wasn't going to part of any training with him. Picking up the next file with a grumble, he skimmed the name.

_Aisling Rossi_.

"What kind of name is that?" He grumbled to himself. Already dislike was building for this girl. If he didn't know how to pronounce her name, how was he supposed to snap her into shape?

It was official – Levi _hated_ Dot Pixis. There was no one even _remotely_ decent in this transfer. They were all likely going to become delicious titan treats.

Lifting Rossi's file again, he figured he could continue reading. He may have disliked her already for her name, but maybe she was worth something.

_"__Effective with 3DMG to an extensive degree; inconceivable speed in hand-to-hand combat, but lacking the necessary strength to follow through; problems with direct authority and difficulties with certain characters; attitude is a burden and thusly, despite very high marks, will never amount to anything without proper leadership and learning to control her anger issues."_

Reading further down, Levi found something interesting.

_"__Barred from the Garrison due to disciplinary issues. High marks could place her in the Military Police, however she has refused and insists on joining the Survey Corps."_

Very interesting indeed. Maybe he could find a way to break this Aisling Rossi's attitude.

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Aisling Rossi sighed in tiredness as she continued scrubbing the floors on hands and knees. She felt like someone was conspiring against her. Then again, this job was probably one of the least vile ones. She felt sorry for the fools that had gotten stable duty, or the poor girl who was stuck cleaning out the chimneys.<p>

This day was not going to end fast enough. Her muscles ached and she was sure she was still bruised from her misadventures. Her mouth had gotten her in trouble once more. Well, not just her mouth, unfortunately, but her fists too.

Although she had always wanted to be _here_, in the open freedom that only the outside world could provide, she hadn't been able to immediately after graduating from her class. And damn if she was going to delve further into the walls. So she went as close to the outside as she could – the Garrison.

Maybe her loud mouth ways had been a good thing. It had come at the right time – with no one to scold her now, maybe she could achieve the greatness she knew she was capable of.

"Rossi! Report to the front for roll call." A rough voice said. Aisling didn't even have a chance to turn and see who it was before a group went clambering into the hall and onto her wet and, most importantly, _clean_ floors. And _worse_ of all, they were from the stables. Their boots were _filthy_. And they were _stomping_ all over her shiny floor.

Anger grew from somewhere deep inside and it was then she knew that she was about to completely and absolutely _lose _it right before they had to meet with their superiors.

_These bastards_.

* * *

><p>Levi limped down the hall, when he heard an angry female voice bellowing insults. As he turned around the corner, a bucket that was still sudsy flew past his face, almost grazing him.<p>

There was a tornado in the room, and he knew _exactly_ who it was.

It was time he met the infamous girl with anger issues.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Hello again! Although a new chapter wasn't expected, I got suddenly inspired and I couldn't help but post this. So, yes, introduction to the title character (well, besides Levi). We'll learn more about her as the story progresses - hooray, character development! **

**Many thanks to _Theluckystar22_ for reviewing last chapter! Also, thanks to those of you who followed and favorited this in so soon! It's always a nice boost of confidence to know that people out there are reading. I'm not the kind of writer to demand reviews, but it would be nice to hear some more feedback from any people who are out there reading. **

**I don't know when the action will start since I'm in the process of outlaying the groundwork, but once we get there, we'll hit the ground running! Until next time, lovelies!**

**-Audrey**

**P.S. Although there will be an explanation on how to pronounce her name, Aisling is pronounced like this: "Ash-lin" - silent 'g' and 'is' makes a 'sh' sound. Also, I'm hoping to keep a weekly update schedule, so we'll see how it goes from here :)**


	3. Chapter Three

**Chapter Three**

**_"_****_Got my heart set, do anything that I want"_**

Even before Levi turned the corner, he knew he was going to deal with trouble. There was a reason they kept files on everyone who managed to graduate from the harsh military training. Shadis knew how to judge a character at first glance, and he had spent two _long_ years with these people. The things he wrote had to be taken to heart, because he was pretty much always right.

The bucket had hit the wall with a harsh thud, spilling suds and sprinkling a bit of water. Luckily, none had landed on him, or else, there would be heads rolling. As he turned, he bore witness to the wild creature he couldn't begin to imagine. At first, he was a bit surprised, though his face wouldn't show it.

She was the girl who had already caused him immense pain. She had been silly and late and had clipped his bum leg with hers. _Stupid idiotic moron!_ He exclaimed in anger in his mind. Not only had she done that, but she had made a mess on the floor _and_…were the idiots who had dragged in mud and shit from the stables sopping wet?

Levi took a second glance, and sure enough, the three morons were dripping sudsy water all over the floor. Meanwhile, Aisling Rossi was yelling expletives at them. "You fucking imbeciles! Do you think these floors cleaned themselves?! I spent _hours_ scrubbing them until you could eat off of these floors! And in thirty seconds you morons ruined them! Fuck!"

If Levi weren't so angry, he would've been amused. She was a firecracker with hair to match. He had been right – it was reminiscent of Petra's. Nevertheless, whereas Petra's had been a light ginger colored that played off of her eyes, Aisling Rossi had long, fiery copper colored hair.

It was intensely interesting there were almost golden pieces hidden in the waves. Nevertheless, he watched her explode, until he decided to stop her before she resorted to physical violence.

"Ahem," he cleared his throat loudly, at which the three damp soldiers immediately saluted. Despite the fact that they were messy and clearly didn't give a damn about their personal hygiene, they at least knew how to react to their superiors.

…Unlike Aisling, who turned around, fists balled up against her sides. She looked like she was pretending to be angry and he couldn't particularly take her seriously, but as soon as she registered who it was, she saluted and a deep red blush settled on her face.

Now, embarrassment, _that_ Levi knew what to do with.

"Blackwell! Rine! Cantu! What the hell is going on here?!" Levi of course knew, he had been a witness to half of it and it didn't take a genius to put the rest of it together.

The three imbeciles (as Rossi had called them) had decided to stomp into Hothead's recently cleaned floors without as much as a care. In anger, she had clearly thrown the water unto them and thrown the bucket in any general direction. Which of course, had made a bigger mess than it was to begin with.

"Uh…umm…uh…" Blackwell stuttered. He was built like an ox, and while he was strong, clearly eloquence and intellect weren't his strong suits.

"I threw a bucket of water on them when they tarnished my floors, sir," Rossi stepped in. She had taken a step forward and that's when he saw it.

Her eyes.

He had never seen anything like it. And considering all he'd seen and done in his life, well, this was a complete anomaly. He had thought that the Hothead was already different because of her temper and attitude, but now that he saw her up close, this just separated her from everyone else even more.

One eye as green as the grass beyond the walls and one eye as blue as the sky.

Levi had learned over the years not to question things too much, but he wanted to know. He had never thought himself as the curious type, but questions popped into his head. _Why? And how?_

Of course, he could never ask her these things. So instead, he quickly thought of the first thing that came into his mind.

"You three," he pointed to the idiots. "Clean these floors as clean as Rossi left them originally. If I come back and find that you did a terrible job, I'll hang you by your 3D maneuvering gear until you bleed…"

Blackwell furrowed his eyebrows like thinking was going to blow a gasket. "But…how would that happen…how could that make us bleed?"

Brightest of the pack, he _definitely_ was not. Levi's scowl grew deeper, but he was in a generous mood, despite the pain he was in. "Shut up and don't ask stupid questions," he snapped instead of dolling out more painful punishment.

Aisling had thought she was going to get away scot-free as the trio rushed around under Captain Levi's harsh gaze.

_Yes, yes, no troublesome tasks for me!_ She cheered in her head, all while maintaining the most stoic face she could muster. "And you," Levi turned to her, his gaze still sharp and unforgiving.

_Fuck. Spoke too soon. I am a naïve fool_. Aisling thought, all while trying to stay as professional as she could. Humanity's Strongest Soldier was standing in front of her. And granted, height wasn't his strong suit, but he made up for that with an unforgiving exterior.

"Laps." His favorite punishment. Nothing like killing two birds with one stone – the brats got a good workout that only served to help them and they considered it exhausting enough that it was technically a reprimand.

"Laps?" She questioned.

"Until nightfall." He finished the question she was sure to ask. If she had such a problem with authority, he was going to _break_ her until she listened.

It was going to be a _long_ afternoon.

* * *

><p>Aisling pushed herself to keep running, no matter if her legs felt like gelatin. She was beyond the point of pain. She had reached a state of numbness that she had no idea previously existed. Lucky for her, she had only started running when the sun was already three-quarters through the sky.<p>

Guessing, she could only assume that it was about four or five in the afternoon. The sun had already become an orange color as it started its descent. Relief would come soon – the sun was starting to set faster and the top of the sky was beginning to turn a dusty pink surrounded by a light, lazy grey.

Her pace slowed down to a very light jog. In fact, she was tempted to call it "fast-paced walking" more than a jog. If Captain Levi caught her, she would be D-E-A-D—

"Rossi!" A sharp voice suddenly called. Speak of the damned. Of course it was just her luck that Captain Levi caught her as she was about to collapse from exhaustion.

"Sir!" She stood at attention as straight as she could, quivering legs be damned. Her vision was spotting with multicolored dots as she tried to focus on the man in front of her. She had missed lunch due to her incessant behavior of persistence to the point of stubbornness. And the incident this afternoon and the repercussions thereafter had cost her dinner.

It was then that Aisling recognized that it wasn't just her legs that were shaking from tiredness – her whole body was lightly trembling. While all of these realizations were happening, Levi was barking away at her, ignorant that her body was shutting down.

"…if I order 'run laps until nightfall', it means _run _until _nightfall_. I caught you at a snail's pace and it's only dusk. I should…" His voice trailed out as a swooshing sound started ringing in her ears.

_Pay attention!_ She urged herself, but it was no use.

Aisling Rossi was going _down_.

* * *

><p>Levi watched as the fire-haired cadet shook like a leaf in the wind. Despite his better judgments more often than not, he ignored it and blamed it on tired muscles. He also ignored her pale complexion and blamed it on her genetics instead of circumstances.<p>

He kept on scolding, even though he knew she was bone-tired. And scolding was exactly what he was doing when she suddenly collapsed like a broken doll.

How was he going to explain this to the infirmary? Worse, how was he going to justify this to Erwin? And a fate more terrible than that, how much paperwork would he have to do to explain _this_?

_I made someone run to death._ He didn't feel guilty per say, but he was concerned about what Erwin would say. _That smug bastard will probably reprimand me for killing someone with potential. _Not an actual reprimand, all things considered, but still. The less lectures he received from Erwin, the better – less time wasted too.

Levi sighed, knowing that Rossi wasn't _really_ dead. She had just fainted to the point of no return. The infirmary would _definitely_ have to take care of this. But first, he had to get her there. Picking her up as gently as he could, he swung her over his shoulder and began the arduous task of limping to the medical building – at least half a kilometer away.

It would prove to be no ordinary night for either of them.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: Oh my! An update in less than a week? Yay! Still going to say a week between update times - usually at the beginning of a story I push out chapters because I am _ridiculously_ inspired. Keep your fingers crossed it stays that way for a while! **

**Next chapter - no idea what happens. Kidding. I have a few tricks up my sleeve. Of course, I don't want them rushing into anything...will Levi get some answers? Perhaps...Is Aisling going to be okay? Maybe...Will I stop being cryptic? Yep (for now...)!**

**Want to keep my muse happy and inspired? Click that fun little button below, pretty please? Reviews, no matter whether constructive criticism or good old flattery always help (both are great..._ahem_, cue my shamelessness). Thanks for reading and here's hoping you all stick around! **

**-Audrey :)**


	4. Chapter Four

**Chapter Four**

**_"_****_All your diction dripping with disdain"_**

* * *

><p>Anger rose in her chest and a low growl escaped her throat as she attempted to pummel her fist into that <em>jackass's<em> face. Of course, that jackass in question, was her captain, Kitts Woerman. _Oops_.

Someone harshly pulled her away, yanking her arms painfully. It felt as if her arms were being pulled out of their sockets. Her shoulders throbbed with an intense and burning sensation.

"Rossi! You damn better stop!" That was an order. Of course it was. And she had stopped – stupid Garrison, with their stupid rules and their stupid–

Another painful yank interrupted her insult-laden thought process. _Fuck_…

She woke up with a start. _Damn_.

_Where am I?_ Her first thought sounded out. Her head hurt like absolute hell. It felt like it was about to cave in and….this _definitely_ wasn't her bedroom. Her bedroom, no matter how sparse her belongings were, still had a touch of coziness – she had put two small houseplants against the window in an attempt to make it feel like _home_.

This room, however, was five or six times as large as her bedroom. She looked around. Cots were lined against the walls, allowing enough room for whoever tended to them. Most of them were empty. However, she was surrounded.

On her right, Captain Levi laid there, perfectly immobile. His face was calm and relaxed, and Aisling decided that he looked much younger when a scowl wasn't decimating his features. His breathing was even, and it was clear to her that he was asleep. Her eyes scanned his form and she noted that his leg was elevated in a rudimentary sling. _That cannot be comfortable_. She thought.

Suddenly, guilt panged inside her. Had she been responsible for this? Last thing she remembered, he was scolding her. But for what?

_...Oh, right. I had stopped running before I was supposed to_.

Had she fallen on his leg? Had she been too heavy for him to drag around into this strange room? Her thoughts swirled around in her mind until she decided that she couldn't think about this any longer. She could get answers later. Maybe. She turned to her left and looked at the person lying on that cot.

It was a teenager – he was easily five years her junior, if not younger. His dark hair was matted against his forehead in a cold sweat, but despite this, he was shivering. He was sitting up in bed, clearly not getting any sleep. In fact, as her eyes focused on his face, she realized that his green eyes were staring right back at her.

They spent an awkward minute or two staring at each other, until finally he broke the silence. "Hi."

Aisling's eyes went wide. She wasn't any good at this...sort of thing. Her upbringing had made sure of that. "Oh…umm…hello." She didn't know what else to say.

"I'm Eren. Eren Yeager." Clearly he could pick up on his social cues. "And…you are?"

"Aisling." A pause. "Rossi." She clarified. "I'm, uh, new to the Survey Corps."

Unbeknownst to Aisling, Levi was listening to their conversation, despite his closed eyes. _How does she get that pronunciation from that weird spelling!?_ He thought, but knew to keep his face level and calm, lest he give himself away as an eavesdropper.

"Oh. You're older though, right?" _Tch. Kid has no tact. Calling a woman old? Is he trying to get slapped? _Levi thought. He wasn't one to laugh loudly, but he could feel the corners of his mouth turning slightly upward.

Another pause of silence.

"….I mean, not that you're old, or anything…or look old! Not at all!" Eren reassured.

"I was in the Garrison before this." Aisling explained. "Since I graduated from the Training Corps, actually."

"If you don't mind me asking…what happened? You generally can't just switch, can you?"

Levi knew Eren talked too much. And he felt the air shift in the room. It became harsh and serious.

"No." That was it from her. No elaborations, no explanations. Just a two-letter word that immediately shut Eren up. _Awkward._

A few minutes passed. Nothing was happening. All was still. And then Eren opened his giant mouth to speak once more.

"I…I'm here because of the fever. Hange wants to keep an eye on me. Titan powers and all…"

His so-called secret didn't do anything to make Aisling budge. She wasn't here to make friends. He chose to keep talking.

"She isn't sure what happens when…we get sick. If there are adverse effects or if it's just something we need to shake off. And recuperation time is another issue. Do we even get sick by natural means? Or is this some sort of sickness only a few of us would get? Is it contagious or is it—"

"Please just shut up." She suddenly intervened. "I am exhausted. I am cranky. And I am in no mood to have a nice chit chat about how your mysterious sickness is ravaging your body."

More silence. Levi actually enjoyed the quietness. He could pretend he was in his room, just about to go to sleep in absolute calm…

"I'm sorry." Aisling abruptly apologized. "I've been told I need to work…on my tact. My people skills. All that…nonsense. Maybe when you're not…sick and when I'm not like this, yeah?"

"Okay. That sounds like a good plan."

The silence in the room was now comfortable. In this, Levi could get some sleep without a doubt. He just needed to shut his thoughts out and fall into the oblivion.

* * *

><p>Levi woke up with a start. The sun was already shining and it was this that had woken him up. If it had been a day off, Levi would've enjoyed it – the sun was shining brightly, the sky was a perfect shade of blue…there were even birds chirping outside and a light breeze was blowing through one of the open windows.<p>

_Damn. What time is it?_

He had no idea. It was late, though. He was used to waking up early – this was an anomaly for him. Why had no one woken him up? And where were Eren and Aisling anyways if they weren't out either? From what he had heard last night, Eren had been sick to a terrible point…and Aisling – judging from the way she had passed out cold, there was only a slight possibility that she could've been fine now.

But he was alone in the infirmary now. His leg was still elevated and he could feel the muscles aching from the position it had been in for so long. Suddenly, the door opened with a loud slam.

"Levi!" Hange exclaimed loudly. She was certainly chipper this morning. Too damn cheery for Levi.

"Go away." He deadpanned.

"Oh, don't be silly! I just came to check up on you." She smiled at him, pushing her glasses up as they slipped downward.

"My leg hurts. Now leave." He knew that short answers only made Hange talk more to make up for his silence.

"Well, instead of shooing me away, you should be thanking me…" she paused and looked to him. Instead of answering, he raised an eyebrow at her choice of words.

_Thank her for what? Intruding my peace and quiet with her loud actions?_

"…It's true!" She tried to reassure. With a sigh, she explained. "I made sure the nurses here alternated between keeping your leg elevated and not…otherwise you would've woken up with a numb leg."

He only stared at her and decided that his thanks would be silent.

"Fine. Do whatever you want. Erwin wants you to finish some reports though. Nothing on the field. You made your leg worse by lugging around that cadet. What's her name? The one with the weird eyes. It's actually interesting now that I think about it. Maybe I should go ask her about it?" Hange chattered on and on, not noticing how Levi wasn't particularly interested in her ramblings.

He did, however, notice her last sentence.

"I don't think she'd like that."

"Oh? You know her?" A quick, almost imperceptible pause. "That's silly – of course you know her. You wouldn't drag a stranger half a kilometer for nothing. But why?"

"She has a problem with authority."

"Ah! So she probably wouldn't take well to me, an authority figure, asking her all sorts of intrusive questions…"

Hange kept rambling on and on, but Levi chose to tune her out. His mask of indifference was one he wore well, and that wasn't about to change. One thing haunted his mind, however, no matter how much he didn't want it to.

Aisling had a problem with _certain_ authority and he was determined to figure out why…

* * *

><p>She landed hard on a branch and pain shot through her legs. Aisling was still exhausted from her ordeal yesterday. She was clumsier than usual and without a doubt, her reaction times were slower.<p>

She could do this, though, she knew she could. With determined eyes, she took a deep breath and focused.

_If I survived everything up until now, I can survive this day. Nothing can distract me. I am strong, I am dedicated, and I won't let anyone down. Not again._

Another deep breath. Finally, Aisling knew she was ready to go. Shooting her 3DMG into another tree, she took off, determined to prove everyone wrong.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: I'm due for my weekly update, so here it is! I had a hard time writing this chapter, and it was a rough week with personal issues, so an encouraging message would be great (hint hint)! In all seriousness though, feedback is always awesome, no matter if it's a quick little snippet of a review. I am not the kind of person to withhold chapters for reviews, nor would I ever want to do that, but I DO want to hear from you guys! So click that button below and make me as happy as a clam!**

**Thanks for reading, and until next time!**

**-Audrey **


	5. Chapter Five

**Chapter Five**

**_"_****_Your boldness stands alone among the wreck"_**

Every single muscle ached as Aisling moved to put her gear away. She had ignored the pain while training, knowing that inactivity would get her nowhere. She was still in pain from the day before when she had exhausted herself running, but despite the infirmary visit, she wasn't going to just pretend she couldn't train.

If she was capable of doing so, she would force herself to do so. She had always been that way. Even as a little girl when she couldn't reach a book on the top shelf, she would find a way to reach it, even if it meant a handful of splinters or a sprained ankle from slipping off of shelves.

She felt tears sting at her eyes, and decided that dwelling in the past was no good. She didn't want to think about it, and therefore, willed it so. Her past was nonexistent now. Plastering a smile on her face, she went to the mess hall. It was lunchtime. Her first lunchtime as part of the Survey Corps, technically.

If there was one thing, among many, that wasn't her strong suit, it was patience. Aisling didn't like to wait for things. She thought she'd have enough of a lifetime of waiting in the past.

_Stop it_. She chastised herself. _Stop thinking about—_

Her thoughts were interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. She turned, but no one was there. Interesting. Now she was imagining things.

Little did she know that it had actually been Eren trying to get her attention…but at the last moment, he had remembered last night – and how moody she had been. Perhaps it wasn't the best time, so he panicked and ran away.

Luckily for him, he had avoided Aisling. Unluckily, he ran straight into Captain Levi.

"S-sorry," he stuttered out immediately. "I—umm," he faltered once more.

"Tch." Levi's scowl only sunk further onto his face. "I don't have time for your excuses, idiot."

Judging by the look on his face, Eren didn't try to talk further. He knew that the Captain would only get more frustrated, and more frustration only spelled trouble for him. Despite everything that told him that it had been for the best, he didn't want to risk another beating. Eren could only watch as Captain Levi limped away albeit angrily, up the stairs.

What was _his _problem?

* * *

><p>Elsewhere, Aisling grabbed her food and jogged up a set of stairs. She knew better than to get attached to the soldiers in her squad. While the Survey Corps celebrated camaraderie to its fullest, Aisling knew the truth. Soldiers who get too attached become afraid to risk their lives for anything worthwhile.<p>

After all, it had been Commander Erwin to urge them into sacrificing their hearts for the good of mankind. If a man of his power wasn't afraid to lose everything, Aisling wouldn't have ever chosen the Survey Corps. She no longer had anything to _lose_, and as such, she would give her heart – the last thing she could claim as her own.

Looking left, right, and left once more, just to be sure, she opened the large wooden door that was marked with a wolf.

This was how all the doors in this castle were marked – some were more intricate than others, and Aisling surmised that at one point or another, this had been a very important landmark. The square of land was huge, and the high walls that surrounded it were intact. There was even an inner, albeit smaller, wall that seemed to be a last ditch defense. Of course, against titans, there was no longer such a thing as defenses.

It seemed to Aisling that in the past, the walls were meant as a defense against humans. Maybe in the times those walls were useful, there hadn't been such a thing as titans. She couldn't imagine a world like that…where humans were free to roam…

Her room was sparse – there wasn't much she had brought with her…not that she had much left after…_everything_.

She shut her eyes, hoping to shut out the memories. Maybe it had been a dangerous idea to come here. Maybe it triggered something…she had been thinking about the past more and more now. Maybe the Garrison and its monotony had dulled her brain and it had provided the _right_ distraction.

It was too late for that now. There was no going back.

What she had done three months ago was irredeemable, even if she _had_ a point in doing it. Although the life of soldiers was a violent one, violence among soldiers was _not_ tolerated. She had even been surprised when they gave her the choice to choose her new faction. Maybe they saw the Survey Corps as punishment enough for her crime. After all, no one was _crazy_ enough to join the Survey Corps of their own accord.

Which had been what she had argued when her fist pummeled into Woerman's face. It had been a deafening crack to her ears, and she knew she had probably broken at least one bone. That, and she had broken a few bones in her fingers too. If those bones had broken, surely she got a good enough hit. He had deserved it anyway, and she stood by her choice to put him in his place.

Aisling plunked down on her bed, struggling with tight muscles to pull off one boot. After accomplishing that, she kicked the other one off unceremoniously. She let herself relax for minute.

She wanted to eat lunch alone. Even though the Survey Corps tried to enforce teamwork, Aisling just plain and simple didn't feel like playing along. She was the odd man out, she had always been, and now just wasn't the time to change things.

Even when she had been in the line to get her lunch, there had been strange looks tossed her way…like she was some freak of nature. Maybe this was how Eren felt. Maybe this was why he had wanted to chat last night. Maybe he was as alone as she was. Anger suddenly bubbled in her.

So what if they were different? It's not like they were devouring humans left and right. Aisling took a bite out of the piece of bread. It was slightly dry, but she was so hungry she didn't care. She gobbled down a strange stew that burnt her tongue.

She took another bite of her bread. It was now that she realized just how _hungry_ she was. She had missed dinner last night due to being in the infirmary. And she had been so tired that in the morning when she woke up automatically at the crack of dawn, she didn't bother with her morning stretches or breakfast. Lucky for her, no authority had noticed her absence. She had been able to skip breakfast without much commotion.

It had been years since she'd had a workout that hurt her like she was hurting now. But that was good – she understood pain. She didn't revel in it, but she knew pain, knew how to handle it. The thought of pain made her immediately think of the scar etched on the side of her eyebrow.

Some part of her hoped that that was maybe why people stared – they wanted to know about the scar and not her eyes. Of course, the realist in her knew it wasn't true. The scar was practically imperceptible unless people got close enough. And no one got close enough anymore.

Aisling was alone. And she preferred it that way.

* * *

><p><strong>AN: So sorry about the very, _very_ late update. I have been swamped with work, and schoolwork, and more work and just...grrrrr! I can no longer promise once-a-week updates since my schedule shows no signs of slowing down.**

**Nevertheless, I am planning on continuing this story - I love my OC, what can I say? :) **

**Also, I want to thank everyone for being so dearly patient and wonderful. I know this chapter is mostly filler, but it does come with an answer as to why Aisling is a "new recruit" in the Survey Corps despite her not being new to the military. Who else wanted to punch Woerman in his stupid face for being so cowardly? Hehehe. Anyways, please review, favorite, follow, (or all three, hint hint). It means the world to know that people are still reading and liking what's happening so far.**

**Next chapter we'll jump ahead a bit into the future, and maybe I can get some action started...whether it's romance action or action action, time will tell! **

**Thanks again for reading!**

**-Audrey**


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